NAME
Module::Generic::Hash - Hash Manipulation Object Class
SYNOPSIS
my $h = Module::Generic::Hash->new({
first_name => 'John',
last_name => 'Doe',
age => 30,
email => 'john.doe@example.com',
});
# or
my $h = Module::Generic::Hash->new({
first_name => 'John',
last_name => 'Doe',
age => 30,
email => 'john.doe@example.com',
}, { debug => 2 });
my $keys = $h->keys # Module::Generic::Array returned
$h->keys->length # e.g. 10
$keys->pop # See Module::Generic::Array
print( $h->as_string, "\n" );
# or
print( "$h\n" );
# Produces:
{
"age" => 30,
"email" => "john.doe\@example.com",
"first_name" => "John",
"last_name" => "Doe"
}
$h->json({ pretty => 1 });
# Produces
{
"age" : 30,
"email" : "john.doe@example.com",
"first_name" : "John",
"last_name" : "Doe"
}
# Or
$h->json
# Produces
{"age":30,"email":"john.doe@example.com","first_name":"John","last_name":"Doe"}
# Adding a key and value as usual:
$h->{role} = 'customer';
$h->defined( 'role' ) # True
$h->delete( 'role' ) # Removes and returns 'customer'
$h->each(sub
{
my( $k, $v ) = @_;
print( "Key $k has value '$v'\n" );
});
exists( $h->{age} );
# same as
$h->exists( 'age' );
# Same as $h->foreach(sub{ #.. });
$h->for(sub{
my( $k, $v ) = @_;
print( "Key $k has value '$v'\n" );
});
$h->length # Returns a Module::Generic::Number
my $hash2 =
{
address =>
{
line1 => '1-2-3 Kudan-minami, Chiyoda-ku',
line2 => 'Big bld 7F',
postal_code => '123-4567',
city => 'Tokyo',
country => 'jp',
},
last_name => 'Smith',
};
my $h2 = Module::Generic::Hash->new( $hash2 );
$h->merge( $hash2 );
# same as $h->merge( $h2 );
$h > $h2 # True
$h gt $h2 # True
$h >= $h2 # True
$h2 < $h # True
$h2 lt $h # True
$h2 <= $h # True
3 < $h # True
# Merge $hash2 into $h, but without overwriting existing entries
$h->merge( $hash2, { overwrite => 0 });
# Otherwise, bluntly overwriting existing entries, if any
$h->merge( $hash2 );
# Same copy
my $h3 = $h->clone;
my $vals = $h->values; # Returns a Module::Generic::Array
# Must return an empty list to prevent the entry from being added to the result, as per perlfunc documentation, see map
my $vals = $h->values(sub{
ref( $_[0] ) ? () : $_[0];
}, { sort => 1 });
VERSION
v1.3.0
DESCRIPTION
The purpos of this class/package is to provide a lightweight object-oriented approach to hash manipulation.
This uses perl core functions only and Clone for cloning. This module's methods act as a wrapper to them.
The object is overloaded, so it returns the hash representation, as dumped by Data::Dumper when used as a string.
print( "I have a nice $hash\n" );
Would produce something like:
I have a nice {
"age" => 30,
"email" => "john.doe\@example.com",
"first_name" => "John",
"last_name" => "Doe"
}
Because the object is overloaded, you can use the variable with comparison perl operators, such as :
$h > 3 # True
$h <= 3 # False
# etc...
You can also compare two hashes reliably, such as :
$h1 eq $h2 # True
But if you use ==
, it will compare the hash size, i.e. the number of keys
$h1 == $h2
Which could be true if both hashes have the same number of keys (==
), but may not be true if they are not the same (eq
)
Otherwise, the hash can be accessed like a regular hash. For example :
print( "Customer is $h->{first_name} $h->{last_name}\n" );
METHODS
new
Provided with a hash reference, some optional parameters and this returns a new object.
Possible optional parameters are:
- debug
-
Provided with an integer and this actives or deactivates debugging messages. Nothing meaningful happens below 3
as_hash
Returns the hash object as a regular hash reference. It copies all the keys and their values into a new anonymous hash and returns it.
as_json
Returns a json representation of the hash by calling "json"
as_string
Return a string version of the hash as produced by Data::Dumper
print( "$h\n" );
# or
print( $h->as_string, "\n" );
# Produces
{
"age" => 30,
"email" => "john.doe\@example.com",
"first_name" => "John",
"last_name" => "Doe"
}
chomp
Performs a "chomp" in perlfunc on the entire hash values and returns the current object it was called with.
Qyoting from perlfunc: "If variable is a hash, it chomps the hash's values, but not its keys".
clone
Produce a deep clone of the hash and return a new object. This uses "clone" in Clone to achieve that.
debug
Sets or gets the debug level
defined
Provided with a hash key and this returns true if there is a value defined for this key. See "defined" in perlfunc
delete
Provided with a hash key and this remove the hash entry and return the previous value, exactly as "delete" in perlfunc does.
dump
Returns a string representation of the hash. This uses Data::Dumper to produce the result.
each
Provided with with a reference to a subroutine, this will do a loop using "each" in perlfunc and this will call the code, passing it the hash key and its value.
If the code returns false, it will exit the "while" in perlfunc loop.
To exit the loop, return undef()
, for example:
$a->each(sub
{
my( $k, $v ) = @_;
return if( $key eq $not_this_one );
print( "ok, this one\n" );
});
exists
Given a hash key, this will return true or false depending if the hash key exists. This uses "exists" in perlfunc.
for
This is simply an alias for "foreach"
foreach
Same as "foreach" in perlfunc, given a reference to a subroutine, and this will execute foreach and call the code providing it as arguments the hash key and value. For convenience, $_
is also available and represent the 2nd argument, i.e. the value.
To exit the loop, return undef()
, for example:
$a->foreach(sub
{
my( $k, $v ) = @_;
return if( $key eq $not_this_one );
print( "ok, this one\n" );
});
get
Provided with an hash key and this will return whatever value was set.
$a->get( 'last_name' ); # Return 'Doe' maybe?
See "set" for the opposite method, i.e. setting a key value.
has
Returns true if the given value exists in the hash. This is effectively an alias for "exists"
is_empty
Returns true if the hash object contains no data, or false otherwise.
json
This returns a JSON representation of the hash. You can provided optionally an hash reference of parameters.
All parameters supported by "JSON" can be used here.
For example:
my $json = $h->json({ pretty => 1, canonical => 1 });
# pretty only will trigger canonical to be true
my $json = $h->json({ pretty => 1 });
This would yield something like:
{
"age" : 30,
"email" : "john.doe@example.com",
"first_name" : "John",
"last_name" : "Doe"
}
Otherwise, you would get a more terse result, such as :
{"age":30,"email":"john.doe@example.com","first_name":"John","last_name":"Doe"}
When pretty is enabled, it will automatically also enable canonical
, indent
and relaxed
unless those are explicitly specified:
my $json = $h->json({ pretty => 1, canonical => 0 });
For simplicity, you can also use, as alias to canonical
, sort
, sorted
, order
or ordered
It returns the JSON encoded data as a scalar object
keys
Returns the hash keys as a Module::Generic::Array object.
Also note that if you have a multi-level hash, this will return only the first level keys, just like "keys" in perlfunc would do.
printf( "%d hash keys found\n", $h->keys->length );
And even, chaining through different objects :
if( $h->keys->length->is_positive )
{
# Do something
}
This returns the keys as an Module::Generic::Array object, then returns the size of the array as a Module::Generic::Number object.
length
This returns the number of keys in the hash, as a Module::Generic::Number object.
map
Provided with a code reference and this calls "map" in perlfunc and pass the code reference the hash key and its value.
It returns a regular list, i.e. not an object, just like perl's "map" in perlfunc would do.
map_array
Does the same as "map" above, except it returns a new array as a Module::Generic::Array object.
map_hash
Does the same as "map" above, except it returns a new Module::Generic::Hash object.
For this to work properly, the code reference needs to return a key-value pair.
merge
Provided with an hash reference and an optional hash of parameters and this will mergge the given hash with hash in our object. It does so recursively and prevents looping by using "refaddr" in Scalar::Util.
Currently the only parameter possible is overwrite. By default this is set to a true value, and you can provide this argument to specifically indicates you do not want the hash key value to be overwriten.
remove
Just an alias for "delete"
reset
This simply empty the hash. See also "undef" for the same result.
set
Provided with a key and a value, and this adds it to the hash, possibly overwriting any previous entry.
See "get" for the opposite method, i.e. to get the key value.
size
Alias method for "length"
undef
This simply empty the hash. See also "reset" for the same result.
values
This returns the values of the hash as a Module::Generic::Array, but please note that jsut like the "values" in perlfunc, it only provides the first level values.
If an optional reference to a subroutine is provided, the code will be called for each value as its sole argument, and the subroutine can decide what to do with it, possibly altering the value and discarding it by returning the value, possibly altered, or an empty list to indicte this entry shoul be discarded. For example :
my $vals = $h->values(sub{
ref( $_[0] ) ? () : $_[0];
});
This will make sure to get all values, except the ones that are reference (perlref)
To return entries with uppercase first :
my $vals = $h->values(sub{
join( ' ', map( ucfirst( lc( $_ ) ), split( /[[:blank:]]+/, $_[0] ) ) );
});
And if one of the value were JohN DOE
, this would result in John Doe
If the parameter sort is provided, then it will sort the array before returning the values and before executing the reference of the subroutine on each entry.
SERIALISATION
Serialisation by CBOR, Sereal and Storable::Improved (or the legacy Storable) is supported by this package. To that effect, the following subroutines are implemented: FREEZE
, THAW
, STORABLE_freeze
and STORABLE_thaw
SEE ALSO
Module::Generic::Scalar, Module::Generic::Array, Module::Generic::Boolean, Module::Generic::Number, Module::Generic::Dynamic
AUTHOR
Jacques Deguest <jack@deguest.jp>
COPYRIGHT & LICENSE
Copyright (c) 2000-2020 DEGUEST Pte. Ltd.
You can use, copy, modify and redistribute this package and associated files under the same terms as Perl itself.